Tomorrow
by smolder
Summary: "And now that she was with Cobra it hadn't stopped - there had never been a moment of jealousy between them (or accusations of betrayal hurled at her). Instead his gaze (his heart) grew to encompass them both - that same look of gentle love and infinitely patient longing she has never encountered in any other man shifting to two." Cobra Bubbles/Nani Pelekai/David Kawena


Disclaimer: I own nothing. Lilo & Stitch belong to Disney.  
A/N: One of the bits I wrote for a prompt over at 'The Disney Kink Meme'. The prompt given was:_Nani/Cobra/David OT3. The formation of a functional relationship between these three in the aftermath of the film. Anything at all would be good, but I would prefer for the Nani/Cobra to start before David enters the picture._

A/N 2: I actually wrote this quite a while ago and could of sworn I posted it. *shrugs* Reviews are Good. This has been a subtle hint from the author - Please return to your regularly scheduled reading.

* * *

"He still loves you."

It takes Nani much longer than she would like to admit to process the comment. At first it actually comes across to her more as vibrations from the man she is lying against, half asleep on the couch watching tv, than actual words. But once Cobra's deep rumble distinguishes itself into something she can understand that is a whole nother ball to unravel in her mind.

There isn't even a moment of thinking he could be talking about anyone other than David. And she doesn't deny the statement either. David's eyes have become an almost familiar weight upon her over the years - something that as she grew, she came to recognize what his gaze fully represented.

She had thought (had feared, she admits to herself inside her own mind) that that would disappear when she got together with Cobra after all the craziness with Stitch. That he would finally give up on her - move on. It was the normal thing to do after all.

But David had never given up on her before, despite all the times she pushed him away - simply told him there was no time in her life, she needed to find a job, find her feet, and Lilo was always so much more important - only to choose someone else in the end. And now that she was with Cobra it hadn't stopped - there had never been a moment of jealousy between them (or accusations of betrayal hurled at her). Instead his gaze (his heart) grew to encompass them both - that same look of gentle love and infinitely patient longing she has never encountered in any other man shifting now to two.

"He loves you too," she states, moving her head to regard him calmly. She honestly adores this about Cobra, the ability to feel so comfortable. With anyone else she would be embarrassed or defensive in this conversation but he always comes across as having, if not experienced _everything_, at least having experienced way crazier things before. His steadiness allows her to be calm as well.

And, true to form, he doesn't seemed surprised by her statement, his large hand making small circles gently against her side as he thought.

"What do you think we should do, Nani?" he asks after a while. "He doesn't seem happy."

She bit her lip then, her eyes dropping down, because it was true. He didn't. David didn't expect anything from them – didn't expect anything to change. It wasn't his way to push. Would continue to stop by and spend time with them all and even watch Lilo when she asked - but she knew this had to be wearing on him.

"I've known him forever. He's ohana in a way and I hate to see him hurt. But I don't want to lose you," Nani hurried to say,, her hands tightening in their grip of his shirt.

"You won't," he assured her, his deep voice rolling through her body and soothing her deep in her bones. "But you could have both."

Her eyes darted up to his, judging how serious he was – but she didn't think he would joke about something like this. And when their eyes met she could tell he wasn't.

* * *

It is a delicate thing to her – growing within her mind until she feels truly comfortable with the idea to make it a reality. Cobra is supportive the entire way although she can tell he feels they should make a firm decision soon, he is far more empathetic then he comes across and it bothers him deeply to see David yearning so - and she knows, because she has known him since childhood, that it is far more the companionship he craves than any physical intimacy that might be making her a bit nervous.

And it is that - having him leave their large, but somehow still crowded, home at the end of another night for his small apartment (and having it feel so very very wrong)– that finally makes her come to a resolution.

It is rare to grab another moment of quiet to broach the subject. The opportunity ends up presenting itself on just a random late night. All but the three of them have gone to bed. David is postponing heading off himself while Cobra does that night's dinner dishes.

A single glance passed between them while she slides the last plates into the sudsy water clearly tells him her intentions. And, with his hands full, he kisses her temple as she passes in encouragement.

Nani feels she's going to need it.

She sits heavily into the seat across from David and it is only moment before she is floundering badly. It made sense in her head (she had everything she was going to say worked out), that this was the perfect answer to their problem but now with him in front of her she can't seem to talk about it directly. And instead has gone into some sort of metaphor. She almost feels like it's a disembodied experience watching herself go on about flowers – her brain caught in a loop trying to get across how this idea _grew_ and _bloomed_.

And poor David has that adorably confused look on his face.

Cobra stops washing dishes to sit at the table, he takes a seat between the two of them. Nani almost feels likes he is physically grounding her as he intertwines their fingers - her flow of words stopping abruptly.

And she would swear that she could feel David's stare – it is again Cobra though who reaches out his other hand for David's. She hears him suck in his breath at the movement , the symbolism of which saying so much more than she could.

Nani allows herself to gaze at her rock of a partner for a moment, the way his large tattooed knuckles offset the two of their similar skin tones. The way his presence is able to bridge that gap between David and her that somehow always seemed insurmountable.

Cobra is here now though and so she is able to look David in the eyes and ask him, "Do you want this?" without a hint of blush.

His, "Yes," is earnest and heartbreaking because she can see the fear behind it. That he doesn't quite believe this is happening, that this is just a dream that will be snatched away.

But it isn't a dream. And tonight David doesn't go back to his apartment.

And tomorrow there will be teasing and pancakes. Sunshine and kisses. Lazing around and panicked running around for lost back packs before the bus leaves.

Tomorrow their whole family will be home.


End file.
